Vehicle systems and methods for determining target based on selecting a virtual eye position or a pointing direction

ABSTRACT

Vehicle systems and methods for determining a final target position based on either a first target position and a second target position are disclosed. A vehicle includes a user detection system configured to output a gesture signal in response to a hand of a user performing at least one gesture to indicate a final target position. The vehicle also includes a user gaze monitoring system configured to output an eye location signal that indicates an actual eye position of the user. The vehicle also includes one or more processors and one or more non-transitory memory modules communicatively coupled to the processors. The processors store machine-readable instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more processors to select either the first target position or the second target position as the final target position based on a first accuracy and a second accuracy.

TECHNICAL FIELD

Embodiments described herein generally relate to vehicles and, morespecifically, to vehicles having systems that determine a targetposition that a user is gesturing towards, where the user's gaze isdirected towards a location other than the target position.

BACKGROUND

Some types of vehicle systems may allow a driver or passenger to provideinput without manipulating buttons or other tactile inputs. Morespecifically, the vehicle may receive nonverbal communication from anindividual using hand gestures. The vehicle includes sensors to detectthe movement and position of an individual's hand, and determines theinformation the individual is attempting to convey based on the movementand position of the hand. However, some challenges may exist in certainsituations that can limit the system's ability to interpret some of theinformation expressed by an individual's hands.

In addition to systems that allow for a driver to provide input based onhand gestures, some vehicles include an eye-tracking system that iscapable of tracking the driver's gaze direction. The driver's gazedirection may be used to determine the driver's level of awareness as heor she is operating the vehicle. The driver normally directs his or herattention towards the environment located in front of the vehicle.Therefore, drivers typically direct their gaze away from the front ofthe road for only a few moments at a time while operating the vehicle.For example, a driver may turn his or her head to the side and look outof one of the side windows of a vehicle, but only for a few seconds.Accordingly, eye-tracking systems are limited in their ability todetermine commands based on the gaze direction of the driver.

SUMMARY

In one embodiment, a vehicle includes a user detection system configuredto output a gesture signal in response to a hand of a user performing atleast one gesture to indicate a final target position. The vehicle alsoincludes a user gaze monitoring system configured to output an eyelocation signal that indicates an actual eye position of the user. Thevehicle also includes one or more processors and one or morenon-transitory memory modules communicatively coupled to the one or moreprocessors. The processors store machine-readable instructions that,when executed, cause the processors to determine a first point and asecond point located on the hand of the user based at least in part onthe gesture signal from the user detection system. The first point andthe second point define a pointing direction of the hand of the user.The processors are also caused to calculate a virtual eye position basedat least in part on a first point located on the hand of the user andthe actual eye position. The processors are further caused to calculatea first target position based on the virtual eye position and a secondtarget position based on the pointing position of the hand of the user.The first target position includes a first accuracy and the secondtarget includes a second accuracy. The processors are caused todetermine the final target position by selecting the first targetposition and the second target position based on a first accuracy and asecond accuracy. Finally, the processors are caused to control at leastone vehicle system based at least in part on the final target position.

In another embodiment, a vehicle includes a user detection systemconfigured to output a gesture signal in response to a hand of a userperforming at least one gesture to indicate a final target position. Thevehicle also includes a user gaze monitoring system configured to outputan eye location signal that indicates an actual eye position of theuser. The vehicle also includes one or more processors and one or morenon-transitory memory modules communicatively coupled to the one or moreprocessors. The processors store machine-readable instructions that,when executed, cause the processors to determine a first point and asecond point located on the hand of the user based at least in part onthe gesture signal from the user detection system. The first point andthe second point define a pointing direction of the hand of the user.The processors are also caused to calculate a virtual eye position basedat least in part on a first point located on the hand of the user andthe actual eye position. The processors are further caused to calculatea first target position based on the virtual eye position and a secondtarget position based on the pointing position of the hand of the user.The first target position includes a first accuracy and the secondtarget includes a second accuracy. The processors are caused to comparethe first accuracy associated with the first target position with thesecond accuracy associated with the second target position. In responseto determining the first accuracy is greater than the second accuracy,the processors are caused to select the first target position to be thefinal target position. In response to determining the second accuracy isgreater than the first accuracy, the processors are caused to select thesecond target position as the final target position. Finally, theprocessors are caused to control at least one vehicle system based atleast in part on the final target position.

In yet another embodiment, a method for determining a final targetposition that a user of a vehicle is gesturing towards is disclosed. Themethod includes determining, by a computer, a first point and a secondpoint located on a hand of the user based at least in part on a gesturesignal generated by a user detection system. The first point and thesecond point define a pointing axis of the hand of the user. The methodalso includes calculating a virtual eye position based at least in parton a first point located on the hand of the user and an actual eyeposition of the user, where an eye location signal generated by a usergaze monitoring system generates the actual eye position. The methodalso includes calculating, by the computer, a first target positionbased on the virtual eye position, where the first target positionincludes a first accuracy. The method further includes calculating, bythe computer, a second target position based on the pointing axis of thehand of the user, where the second target position includes a secondaccuracy. The method also includes determining the final target positionby selecting the first target position or the second target positionbased on the first target position and the second target position.Finally, the method includes controlling at least one vehicle systembased at least in part on the final target position.

These and additional features provided by the embodiments of the presentdisclosure will be more fully understood in view of the followingdetailed description, in conjunction with the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The embodiments set forth in the drawings are illustrative and exemplaryin nature and not intended to limit the disclosure. The followingdetailed description of the illustrative embodiments can be understoodwhen read in conjunction with the following drawings, where likestructure is indicated with like reference numerals and in which:

FIG. 1 depicts a schematic view of an example vehicle configured todetermine a final target position based on a virtual eye position and adirection that a hand of a user is pointing towards, according to one ormore embodiments shown and described herein;

FIG. 2 depicts a schematic top view of a user of the vehicle pointingtowards a first target position, according to one or more embodimentsshown and described herein;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the user driving the vehicle andpointing towards the first target position, according to one or moreembodiments shown and described herein;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the user pointing towards the object andalso directing his or her gaze towards the first target position,according to one or more embodiments shown and described herein;

FIG. 5 depicts a schematic top view of the user and includes the firsttarget position and a second target position, according to one or moreembodiments shown and described herein;

FIG. 6A illustrates the driver gesturing towards the left using his orher right hand, according to one or more embodiments shown and describedherein;

FIG. 6B illustrates the driver in FIG. 6A gesturing towards the center,according to one or more embodiments shown and described herein;

FIG. 6C illustrates the driver in FIG. 6A gesturing towards the right,according to one or more embodiments shown and described herein;

FIG. 7 depicts a graph illustrating an accuracy associated with thefirst target position and an accuracy associated with the second targetposition, according to one or more embodiments shown and describedherein; and

FIG. 8 is a flowchart of an example method for determining the finaltarget position, according to one or more embodiments shown anddescribed herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The embodiments disclosed herein are directed to vehicle systems andmethods to determine a target position that a user is pointing towardswhen his or her gaze is directed in a location other than the targetposition. In the embodiments as described in the present disclosure, theuser is a driver of the vehicle. However, it should be appreciated thatthat the disclosure may also be applied towards a passenger of thevehicle as well.

When operating a vehicle, the driver normally directs his or herattention towards the environment located in front of the vehicle, andmay turn his or her head momentarily to glance at objects located oneither side of the vehicle. The driver may point or gesture towards aparticular object or direction located in the surrounding using his orher hands, where the gesture may be used to convey information to one ormore vehicle systems. For example, the driver may point towards aspecific landmark, and the landmark is conveyed to a GPS or aninteractive dialog system. However, since the driver is usuallydirecting his or her attention towards the front of the vehicle, thedirection of the driver's gaze may not align with the directionindicated by the hand.

The disclosed system determines a final target position that representsthe position that the driver is attempting to gesture towards. Morespecifically, the disclosed system determines the final target positionbased on either a first target position or a second target position,where the first target position and the second target position aredetermined using different techniques.

The first target position is determined based on a simulated or virtualposition of the driver's eyes. The virtual position of the driver's eyesis aligned with the target object and the tip of the driver's finger,and is used to determine the target position that the driver is pointingtowards. As mentioned above, the driver is looking in a direction otherthan the target location (e.g., towards the front of the vehicle). Thevirtual eye position may be calculated by the location of the hand ofthe driver and the actual position of the driver's eyes. The location ofthe driver is determined based on a gesture signal that is generated byan object detection system. The system determines an actual position ofthe driver's eyes (i.e., the real position of the eyes) based at leastin part on an eye location signal generated by a driver gaze monitoringsystem. The system then determines the virtual eye position by rotatingthe actual position of the driver's eyes about a vertical axis of thedriver until a midpoint measured between the driver's eyes is alignedwith the driver's fingertip. The position of the driver's eyes whenaligned with the driver's fingertip represents the virtual eye position.

Once the virtual eye position is determined, the system may determine adirectional vector that represents a virtual gaze position of thedriver. The virtual gaze position is oriented towards the first targetposition. The first target position represents the target positioncalculated based on the virtual eye approach. The system also determinesa directional vector pointing towards the second target position. Thesecond target position is based on a pointing direction associated withthe driver's hand. More specifically, the pointing direction indicatesthe direction that the driver's hand is gesturing towards. The systemthen calculates the final target position that the driver is gesturingtowards by selecting either the first target position or the secondtarget position.

An actual target position represents the real-life position of alocation or object that the driver is attempting to gesture towards. Theactual target position may be located at a right-hand side, a left-handside, or a central position relative to the driver's body. For example,an object viewed through the driver's side window by the driver islocated relative to the driver's left-hand side, an object viewedthrough the windshield by the driver is located relative to the centralposition, and an object viewed through the passenger side window islocated on the driver's right-hand side.

The precision or accuracy of the pointing direction provided by thedriver is based on the position of the actual target position and theparticular hand the driver is using to perform a gesture (i.e., eitherthe right hand or the left hand). More specifically, the accuracy of thepointing direction is greatest when the relative direction that thedriver is gesturing towards is positioned in a location that is oppositeto the specific hand that the driver uses to perform the gesture. Forexample, if the driver uses his or her right hand to point towards atarget located relative to the driver's left-hand side, then the secondtarget position indicated by driver's hand is more accurate whencompared to the first target position based on the virtual gazeposition. However, the accuracy associated with the second targetposition decreases in value as the direction of the driver's handtravels from the location opposite from the gesturing hand and towardsthe central portion of the vehicle 100.

It is to be appreciated that the accuracy of both the first targetposition and the second target position varies with respect to theposition of the driver's hand. That is, the accuracy of both targetposition vary as the driver's hand travels between the right-hand sideand the left-hand side. The system is configured to determine the finaltarget position by selecting the target position that provides thegreatest accuracy at a given position of the driver's hand.

Various embodiments of vehicles and methods for determining a targetposition that the user is gesturing towards are disclosed below.

Referring now to FIG. 1, an embodiment of a vehicle 100 is schematicallydepicted. The vehicle 100 may be any passenger vehicle such as, forexample, a terrestrial, aquatic, and/or airborne vehicle. The vehicle100 includes a communication path 104, an electronic control unit 102,an object detection system 130, a driver detection system 140, a drivergaze monitoring system 170 (which may also be referred to as a user gazemonitoring system), and one or more vehicle systems 180. The electroniccontrol unit 102 includes one or more processors 105 and one or morememory modules 106. Referring to FIGS. 1 and 5, the electronic controlunit 102 is configured to calculate a final target position 112 that islocated in an environment surrounding the vehicle 100. The final targetposition 112 may represent an object that the driver is pointing at suchas a person, an animal, a landmark, another vehicle, a building, and thelike. The location represented by the final target position 112represents where a driver of the vehicle 100 is attempting to point orgesture towards using his or her hand 110. The final target position 112is selected from two discrete target locations, namely a first targetlocation T1 and a second target location T2.

Referring to FIG. 1, the communication path 104 provides datainterconnectivity between various modules disposed within the vehicle100. Specifically, each of the modules may operate as a node that maysend and/or receive data. In some embodiments, the communication path104 includes a conductive material that permits the transmission ofelectrical data signals to processors, memories, sensors, and actuatorsthroughout the vehicle 100. In some embodiments, the communication path104 can be a bus, such as, for example, a LIN bus, a CAN bus, a VAN bus,and the like. In some embodiments, the communication path 104 may bewireless and/or an optical waveguide. Components that arecommunicatively coupled may include components capable of exchangingdata signals with one another such as, for example, electrical signalsvia conductive medium, electromagnetic signals via air, optical signalsvia optical waveguides, and the like.

Accordingly, the communication path 104 may be formed from any mediumthat is capable of transmitting a signal such as, for example,conductive wires, conductive traces, optical waveguides, or the like.Moreover, the communication path 104 may be formed from a combination ofmediums capable of transmitting signals. In some embodiments, thecommunication path 104 comprises a combination of conductive traces,conductive wires, connectors, and buses that cooperate to permit thetransmission of electrical data signals to components such asprocessors, memories, sensors, input devices, output devices, andcommunication devices. Additionally, it is noted that the term “signal”means a waveform (e.g., electrical, optical, magnetic, mechanical orelectromagnetic), such as DC, AC, sinusoidal-wave, triangular-wave,square-wave, vibration, and the like, capable of traveling through amedium.

Still referring to FIG. 1, the electronic control unit 102 may be anycomputing device. For instance the electronic control unit 102 may beany type of vehicle-installed, handheld, laptop, or other form of singlecomputing device, or may be composed of multiple computing devices. Theelectronic control unit 102 includes one or more processors 105 forcontrolling operations of the electronic control unit 102. The one ormore processors 105 may include any device capable of executingmachine-readable instructions stored on a non-transitorycomputer-readable medium. Accordingly, each of the one or moreprocessors 105 may include a controller, an integrated circuit, amicrochip, a computer, and/or any other computing device.

The electronic control unit 102 further includes one or more memorymodules 106 communicatively coupled to the one or more processors 105.The one or more memory modules 106 may be configured as volatile and/ornonvolatile memory and, as such, may include random access memory(including SRAM, DRAM, and/or other types of RAM), flash memory, securedigital (SD) memory, registers, compact discs (CD), digital versatilediscs (DVD), and/or other types of non-transitory computer-readablemediums. Depending on the particular embodiment, these non-transitorycomputer-readable mediums may reside within the electronic control unit102 and/or external to the electronic control unit 102. The one or morememory modules 106 may be configured to store one or more pieces oflogic as described in more detail below. The embodiments describedherein may utilize a distributed computing arrangement to perform anyportion of the logic described herein.

Embodiments of the present disclosure include logic that includesmachine-readable instructions and/or an algorithm written in anyprogramming language of any generation (e.g., 1GL, 2GL, 3GL, 4GL, and/or5GL) such as, machine language that may be directly executed by theprocessor, assembly language, object-oriented programming (OOP),scripting languages, microcode, etc., that may be compiled or assembledinto machine-readable instructions and stored on a machine-readablemedium. Similarly, the logic and/or algorithm may be written in ahardware description language (HDL), such as logic implemented viaeither a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) configuration or anapplication-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), and their equivalents.Accordingly, the logic may be implemented in any conventional computerprogramming language, as pre-programmed hardware elements, and/or as acombination of hardware and software components. Logic stored on the oneor more memory modules 106 may include, for example, object recognitionlogic, speech recognition logic, risk determination logic, notificationgeneration logic, and autonomous vehicle control logic. Thus, theelectronic control unit 102 includes logic to calculate the location ofthe final target position 112.

As noted above, the logic stored on the one or more memory modules 106may include object recognition logic. The object recognition logic mayinclude any known or yet-to-be-developed object recognition algorithmsthat may be utilized to detect objects within an environment. Exampleobject recognition algorithms include, but are not limited to, edgedetection algorithms, corner detection algorithms, blob detectionalgorithms, and feature description algorithms (e.g., scale-invariantfeature transform (“SIFT”), speeded up robust features (“SURF”),gradient location and orientation histogram (“GLOH”), and the like). Thelogic stored on the electronic control unit may also include speechrecognition logic used to detect the words spoken by the driver and/orpassengers within the vehicle 100. Any known or yet-to-be-developedspeech recognition algorithms may be used for the speech recognitionlogic.

In the embodiments described herein, the one or more memory modules 106and the one or more processors 105 are integral with the electroniccontrol unit 102. However, it is noted that the electronic control unit102, the one or more memory modules 106, and the one or more processors105 may be discrete components communicatively coupled to one anotherwithout departing from the scope of the present disclosure. As anexample and not a limitation, one or more processors and one or morememory modules 106 of the electronic control unit 102 may be remote tothe vehicle 100. For example, the vehicle 100 may be in wirelesscommunication (e.g., using a wireless communication system) with aremote server storing logic and data that is configured to perform atleast some of the functionalities described herein.

The object detection system 130 is communicatively coupled to theelectronic control unit 102 over the communication path 104. The objectdetection system 130 may include any device configured to detect thepresence of an object within the surrounding environment of the vehicle100. More specifically, the object detection system 130 is configured todetect the presence of an object within the vicinity of the vehicle 100.The object detection system 130 may include an object detection sensor132 configured to output an object signal indicative of the presence ofone or more objects within the vicinity of the vehicle 100. Based on theobject signal of the object detection sensor 132, the electronic controlunit 102 may execute object recognition logic to detect an object andclassify the detected object into a classification. The object detectionsensor 132 may include, but is not limited to, a camera, a LiDAR sensor,a RADAR sensor, a sonar sensor, a proximity sensor, and the like. Insome embodiments, the object detection system 130 includes more than oneobject detection sensor 132.

The driver detection system 140 is communicatively coupled to theelectronic control unit 102 over the communication path 104. The driverdetection system 140 may include any device configured to detect thepresence, movements and/or actions of the driver of the vehicle 100. Assuch, the driver detection system 140 may include one or more driverdetection sensors 142. The driver detection sensors 142 may include, butare not limited to, a camera with a field of view on a face and thesurrounding area of the driver. Referring to FIGS. 1 and 5, the driverdetection sensors 142 are configured to output a gesture signal that isindicative of a first point 200 located on the driver's hand 110. Thegesture signal is created in response to the driver raising his or herhand 110 away from a steering wheel 144 of the vehicle 100 (FIG. 3) andattempt to point or otherwise draw attention to the second targetposition T2. That is, the gesture signal is created in response to thedriver gesturing towards one or more objects using his or her hand 110.

In the exemplary embodiment as shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 5, the firstpoint 200 of the driver's hand 110 represents a tip 208 of a finger 114located on the hand 110 of the driver. More specifically, the firstpoint 200 is at the tip 208 of the driver's index finger 114. This isbecause the driver is gesturing towards the second target position T2 bypointing his or her index finger 114 along a pointing direction P.Accordingly, the electronic control unit 102 determines that the driveris pointing towards the second target position T2 using his or her hand110, and sets the first point 200 as the tip 208 of the driver's indexfinger 114. Although the index finger 114 is described, it should beappreciated that the disclosure is not limited to gesturing towards thesecond target position T2 using an index finger of an individual.Instead, the driver may point using one or more digits of the hand 110(e.g., the thumb, ring finger, etc.), where the tip of one or moredigits of the user's hand 110 represent the first point 200.

In another embodiment, the first point 200 may not be located on thedriver's hand 110. Instead, the driver may grasp an article or item withhis or her hand. The driver may then use the object to point towards anobject. For example, instead of using his or her index finger 114 thedriver may point towards the second target position T2 using elongatedarticles such as a pen, a pencil, a stick, or the like. Therefore, thetip 208 of the driver's finger 114 is actually represented by anendpoint of the article that is being grasped by the driver.Specifically, a distal end of the article may be considered the tip 208of the driver's finger 114. The distal end of the article points towardsthe second target position T2 (FIG. 5) and a proximate end of thearticle is grasped by the driver. Furthermore, although elongatedobjects such as pencils and pens are described, the disclosure is notlimited to elongated object. The driver may also gesture using any otherarticle that is sized to be grasped by the hand 110 of the driver, andcan be manipulated to point towards a particular direction. For example,the article may be an item that the driver usually wears or keeps nearbywhile driving the vehicle 100 such as, but not limited to, a cellulartelephone, a pair of sunglasses, and the like.

Referring to both FIGS. 1 and 2, the driver gaze monitoring system 170is communicatively coupled to the electronic control unit 102 over thecommunication path 104. The driver gaze monitoring system 170 mayinclude any device configured to monitor the driver's gaze associatedmovement. More specifically, the driver gaze monitoring system 170includes one or more devices to monitor a direction and motion of theeyes 116 of the driver relative to his or her head 126. As such, thedriver gaze monitoring system 170 may include one or more eye trackingsystems 172 configured to output a direction signal indicative of thedriver's gaze direction, which is referred to in FIG. 2 as D1. The eyetracking systems 172 may also output an eye location signal thatindicates an actual position of the eyes 116 of the driver. As anexample and not a limitation, the eye tracking system may include one ormore cameras or some other optical sensors for detecting light reflectedback from the driver's eyes. As a non-limiting example, the lightreflected back from the driver's eyes may be near infrared light, whichmay range from about 700 nanometers to 2500 nanometers in theelectromagnetic spectrum.

FIG. 2 is a schematic top view illustrating a head 126 and the hand 110of the driver, where the driver is pointing towards the first targetposition T1. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the driver gesturingtowards the first target position T1 shown in FIG. 2. As seen in FIGS. 2and 3, the driver is attempting to gesture towards the first targetposition T1 using one of the fingers 114 on his or her hand 110. Thedriver is pointing or gesturing in the pointing direction P (FIG. 3),however, the driver's gaze is directed towards the driver's gazedirection D1. The driver's gaze direction D1 is pointing towards alocation that is different than the first target position T1. Forexample, the driver's gaze direction D1 is directed towards a drivingroute 118 of the vehicle 100.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 5, both the first target position T1 as well asthe second target position T2 are shown, where the second targetposition T2 is based on the direction indicated by the index finger 114of the driver's hand 110 (i.e., the pointing direction P). As explainedbelow, the electronic control unit 102 selects either the first targetposition T1 or the second target position T2 as the final targetposition 112 (FIG. 1). The selection of either the first target positionT1 or the second target position T2 is based at least in part on alocation associated with an actual target position 216 (FIG. 6A-6C) andthe particular hand 110 that the driver uses to gesture with (i.e.,either the right hand or the left hand). More specifically, as seen inFIGS. 6A-6C and described in greater detail below, the driver maygesture in the pointing direction P towards either a left-hand side ofthe driver's body 252 (FIG. 6A), a central area of the body 252 (FIG.6B), or a right-hand side of the body 252 (FIG. 6C). It should beappreciated that the left and right-hand sides are illustrated in FIGS.6A and 6C on opposite sides (e.g., the driver appears to be pointingright in FIG. 6A) because of the relative orientation of the vehicle100.

Calculation of the first target position T1 (FIG. 2) based on thevirtual eye position will now be described. Referring to both FIGS. 1and 2, in response to receiving the eye location signal from the eyetracking systems 172, the electronic control unit 102 determines theposition of the eyes 116 of the driver. The electronic control unit 102then calculates a midpoint M1 between the two eyes 116 of the driver.More specifically, as seen in FIG. 2 the electronic control unit 102calculates the midpoint M1 by determining a first line segment S1relative to the driver's head 126. The first line segment S1 intersectsboth eyes 116 of the driver, is tangent with respect to the driver'shead 126, and is substantially perpendicular with respect to the vectorrepresenting the driver's gaze direction D1. The midpoint M1 representsa middle point between the two eyes 116 of the driver that intersectsthe first line segment S1.

In the embodiment as shown in FIG. 2, the driver's head 126 is drawn asa circle for purposes of simplicity and clarity in the illustration.However, it should be appreciated that the illustration shown in FIG. 2is not limiting. The electronic control unit 102 may calculate the linesegment S1 and the midpoint M1 by modeling the driver's head using anynumber of shapes or profiles.

The electronic control unit 102 may then calculate the virtual eyeposition, which represents a simulated or virtual position of thedriver's eyes. As seen in FIG. 2, a set of virtual eyes 120 of thedriver is shown. The virtual eyes 120 are directed towards the firstpoint 200 on the driver's hand 110. That is, FIG. 2 illustrates the pairof virtual eyes 120 directed towards the tip 208 of the finger 114. Theelectronic control unit 102 may calculate the position of the set ofvirtual eyes 120 by rotating the actual position of the driver's eyes116 about a vertical axis A-A of the head 126 of the driver until themidpoint M1 measured between the driver's eyes 116 is aligned with thefirst point 200 located at the tip 208 of the driver's finger 114 whenviewed in a plane substantially perpendicular to the axis A-A of thedriver (i.e., a horizontal plane). In other words, the electroniccontrol unit 102 simulates the driver turning his or her head 126 suchthat the virtual eyes 120 are positioned to see the first targetposition T1. It should be appreciated that the vertical axis A-A of thedriver's head 126 represents the vertical axis of the driver's body 252.The vertical extends from the head to the feet of a human's body.Furthermore, it should be understood that humans are capable of rotatingabout their respective vertical axis to perform a three hundred andsixty degree turn.

FIG. 4 illustrates the driver directing his or her gaze towards thefirst target position T1 while also pointing in the pointing directionP. In other words, the driver has turned his or her head 126 such thathis or her eyes 116 are aligned with the first target position T1. Morespecifically, the driver's eyes 116 are directed towards a third gazedirection D3 that is aligned with the tip 208 of the driver's finger 114and is directed towards the first target position T1. Therefore, thedriver is indicating the general direction of the first target positionT1 by pointing his or her finger 114 towards the direction P. The driveris also gazing past the tip 208 of his or her finger 114 towards thefirst target position T1.

Turning back to FIGS. 2 and 3, a midpoint between the virtual eyes 120of the driver is indicated as midpoint M2. The electronic control unit102 calculates the midpoint M2 by first determining a second linesegment S2 relative to the driver's head 126. The second line segment S2intersects both of the virtual eyes 120 and is tangent with respect tothe driver's head 126. The midpoint M2 represents a middle point betweenthe two virtual eyes 120 that intersect the second line segment S2. Inresponse to determining the midpoint M2 between the virtual eyes 120,the electronic control unit calculates a virtual gaze direction D2 ofthe driver. The electronic control unit 102 calculates the virtual gazedirection D2 by determining a vector that originates at the midpoint M2and intersects the first point 200 of the driver's hand 110. As seen inFIG. 2, the vector is substantially perpendicular with respect to thesecond line segment S2.

It should be appreciated that the virtual gaze direction D2 represents asimulated gaze direction of the driver, where the driver is lookingtowards the first target position T1. That is, the driver's head 126 isturned such that the eyes 116 would be directed towards the first targetposition T1. More specifically, the virtual gaze direction D2 of FIG. 2is the same as the third gaze direction D3 illustrated in FIG. 3. Thethird gaze direction D3 is aligned with the tip 208 of the driver'sfinger 114 and is directed towards the first target position T1.

Referring back to FIG. 1, the electronic control unit 102 determines oneor more objects based on the object signal that intersects with thevector representing the virtual gaze direction D2, and identifies theobject that intersects with the vector as the first target position T1.The electronic control unit 102 may execute object recognition logic toclassify the object. In one embodiment, the electronic control unit 102may employ the object recognition logic configured to recognize specificlandmarks. Some examples of landmarks that may be recognized include,but are not limited to, the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, theEmpire State Building in New York City, the Eiffel Tower in Paris, andthe like.

Calculation of the second target position T2 based on the position ofthe driver's hand 110 will now be described. Referring to both FIGS. 1and 5, the electronic control unit 102 receives as input the gesturesignal generated by the driver detection sensors 142. The gesture signalindicates at least two points located on the driver's hand 110. Morespecifically, the gesture signal indicates the first point 200 as wellas a second point 202, where both points 200, 202 are located along thefinger 114 of the driver's hand 110. As mentioned above, the first point200 is located at the tip 208 of the driver's finger 114. The secondpoint 202 is located along the driver's finger 114, at a location belowthe tip 208, and is collinear with respect to the first point 200. Thepoints 200, 202 define a line segment 204, where the line segment 204represents a pointing axis of the driver's finger 114. The pointing axisindicates the direction that the driver's hand 110 is pointing orgesturing towards. More specifically, in the embodiment as illustratedin FIG. 5 the pointing axis (i.e., the line segment 204) is aligned withthe driver's index finger 114. The electronic control unit 102 thenextends the line segment 204 representing the pointing axis beyond thetip 208 of the driver's finger 114 to determine a vector that representsthe pointing direction P.

The electronic control unit 102 then determines one or more objectsbased on the object signal generated by the object detection system 130and the vector representing the pointing direction P. More specifically,the object or objects indicated by the object signal that intersect withthe vector representing the second target position T2 are the secondtarget position T2. Once the first target position T1 and the secondtarget position T2 are calculated, the electronic control unit 102 maythen determine the final target position 112.

The selection of either the first target position T1 based on thevirtual gaze direction D2 or the second target position T2 based on thepointing direction P will now be described, where the selected targetposition is set as the final target position 112. Referring to FIGS. 1,5, and 6A-6C, the accuracy of the second target position T2 is thegreatest when the driver is gesturing towards the left-hand side of thedriver's body 252 with his or her right hand 110, which is illustratedin FIG. 6A. That is, the accuracy of the pointing direction P towardsthe second target position T2 is greatest when the relative directionthat the driver is gesturing towards with his or her hand 110 ispositioned opposite to the specific hand 110 that the driver isgesturing with. For example, in the embodiment as shown in FIG. 6A thesecond target position T2 is positioned in about the same location asthe actual target position 216. Although FIG. 6A illustrates the driverpointing towards the left-hand side of the body 252 using his or herright hand 110, it should be appreciated that a similar result willoccur when the driver gestures towards the right-hand side of the body252 using his or her left hand 110.

Referring now to FIGS. 1, 5, and 6B, the accuracy of the second targetposition T2 as the driver gestures with his or her hand 110 towards thecentral portion of the driver's body 252 may decrease relative to theposition shown in FIG. 6A (i.e., where the driver gestures to theleft-hand side using the right hand 110). Indeed, the second targetposition T2 is no longer located in about the same position as theactual target position 216 in FIG. 6B. Furthermore, the accuracy of thetarget position T2 as the driver gestures with his or her hand 110towards the right-hand side of the body 252 may also decrease withrespect to the position shown in FIG. 6A. In the non-limiting embodimentas shown in FIGS. 6B and 6C, the configuration shown in FIG. 6C is moreaccurate than the configuration shown in FIG. 6B. That is, the drivergestures towards the second target position T2 with the least amount ofaccuracy when the pointing direction P of the hand 110 is orientedtowards the central portion of the driver's body 252. As seen in FIG.6B, a right arm 260 of the driver tends to be constricted in movementwhen gesturing towards the central portion. This may be due to the factthat a human's skeleton tends to be restricted in movement when the armmoves backwards, which makes it more difficult for a human to gesture inthe central position.

Although FIGS. 6B and 6C illustrate the driver gesturing with the leastamount of accuracy when the pointing direction P is directed towards thecentral position (FIG. 6B), it is to be appreciated that the embodimentis not limiting in nature. For instance, in another embodiment theaccuracy of the second target position T2 as seen in FIG. 6B is greaterthan the accuracy of the second target position T2 that is illustratedin FIG. 6C. However, the difference in accuracy between the drivergesturing in the central position and the right-hand side of the body252 is not as significant as the differences in accuracy when comparingthe embodiments shown in either FIG. 6B or FIG. 6C with the embodimentas shown in FIG. 6A (where the driver gestures towards the left-handside of the body 252).

Referring to FIGS. 1, 5, and 6A-6B, the electronic control unit 102selects the second target position T2 to be the final target position112 in response to determining that the relative direction of thepointing direction P of the right hand is aimed towards the left-handdirection relative to the body 252 of the driver. More specifically, theelectronic control unit 102 determines a lateral side of the body 252that is connected to the hand 110 based on the gesture signal generatedby the driver detection sensors 142. For example, in the embodiment asshown in FIG. 6A, the hand 110 is connected to the right lateral side ofthe body 252 of the driver.

The electronic control unit 102 then compares the relative directionthat the pointing direction P is aimed towards with the lateral side ofthe body 252 connected to the hand 110 of the driver. In response todetermining that the relative direction of the pointing direction P isaimed opposite the lateral side of the body 252 that is connected to thehand 110, the electronic control unit 102 selects the second targetposition T2 as the final target position 112. For example, in theembodiment as shown in FIG. 6A, the electronic control unit 102determines the pointing direction P is aimed towards the left-hand siderelative to the body 252 of the driver, and the hand 110 of the driveris connected to a right-hand side of the body 252. Thus, the secondtarget position T2 is selected by the electronic control unit 102 as thefinal target position 112.

Similarly, in response to determining that the relative direction of thepointing direction P is aimed away from the lateral side of the body 252of the driver that is connected to the hand 110, then the electroniccontrol unit 102 selects the first target position T1 as the finaltarget position 112. For example, in the embodiment as shown in FIG. 6C,the electronic control unit 102 determines the pointing direction P isaimed towards the right-hand side of the driver's body 252, and the hand110 of the driver is connected to the right-hand side of the body 252 ofthe driver. Thus, the first target position T1 is selected by theelectronic control unit 102 as the final target position 112.

FIG. 7 is an exemplary graph 700 illustrating a hypothetical error ofthe first target position T1 (which is based on the virtual eyeposition) and the second target position T2 (which is based on thepointing direction P). The x-axis of the graph 700 represents theposition of the driver's hand 110 (FIG. 6A-6C), and the y-axisrepresents error. In the exemplary embodiment as shown, the driver isusing his or her right hand 110 to gesture towards the target. The graphincludes a line that represents a first accuracy associated with thefirst target position T1 and another line that represents a secondaccuracy associated with a second accuracy of the second target positionT2.

Referring to FIGS. 5, 6A-6C, and 7, the first accuracy associated withthe first target position T1 is less than the second accuracy associatedwith the second target position T2 when the driver is gesturing as farto the right as possible. However, as seen in FIG. 7, the secondaccuracy of the second target position T2 decreases until the driver'sright hand 110 is gesturing towards the central portion of the driver'sbody 252. The second accuracy of the second target position T2 remainsrelatively static as the direction of the driver's right hand 110gestures further to the left-hand side.

The first accuracy associated with the first target position T1decreases in value as the direction of the driver's right hand gesturesfrom the far right towards the central portion of the driver's body 252.As seen in FIG. 7, the first accuracy of the first target position T1 isat a minimum value when the user is pointing directly towards themiddle. The first accuracy of the first target position T1 increases invalue as the driver gestures further towards the left-hand side.Furthermore, the first accuracy of the first target position T1 is at amaximum when the driver gestures towards the far left.

Although the driver's right hand side is described as gesturing towardsthe second target position T2, it should be appreciated that thefollowing concepts may also apply when the driver uses his or her lefthand as well. However, the magnitude of the first and second accuracies(FIG. 7) are switched such that the first accuracy associated with thefirst target position T1 is at a maximum value when the driver isgesturing to the far right, and the second accuracy associated with thesecond target position is greater than the first target position whenthe driver gestures towards the far left.

Referring to FIGS. 1, 5 and 7, the first accuracy associated with thefirst target position T1 and the second accuracy associated with thesecond target position T2 are usually unequal with respect to oneanother. In other words, the accuracies associated with the first targetand the second target positions tend to be dissimilar with respect toanother. Thus, the electronic control unit 102 selects the first targetposition T1 as the final target position 112 in response to determiningthe first accuracy is greater than the second accuracy. Similarly, theelectronic control unit 102 selects the second target position T2 as thefinal target position 112 in response to determining the second accuracyis greater than the first accuracy. However, as seen in FIG. 7, the linesegments associated with first and second accuracies cross one anotherat the position 262. Thus, the values of the first accuracy and thesecond accuracy are equal. In the event the first accuracy is equal tothe second accuracy, then the electronic control unit 102 may selecteither value as the final target position 112.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 5, once the final target position 112 isdetermined the electronic control unit 102 may then communicate thevirtual gaze direction D2, the final target position 112, and the objectclassified using object recognition logic to one or more vehicle systems180 via the communication path 104. The vehicle systems 180 may becontrolled based on at least one of the virtual gaze direction D2, thefinal target position 112, and the object classified using objectrecognition logic. The vehicle systems 180 may include, but are notlimited to, a GPS system or an interactive dialog system. An interactivedialog system converses with the driver using text, speech, gestures,haptics, and the like. In one embodiment, the interactive dialog systemmay assist the driver with identifying objects located in the finaltarget position 112. For example, if the driver points towards theEmpire State Building in New York City and asks “What am I pointingto?”, then the interactive dialog system would answer back “The EmpireState Building”.

Referring now to FIG. 8, a flowchart 800 depicting a method fordetermining the final target position 112 is graphically depicted. Asexplained above, the final target position 112 is based on the virtualeye position as well as the direction that the driver points towardsusing his or her hand 110. It should be understood that embodiments arenot limited by the order of steps of the flowchart 800 of FIG. 8.

Referring generally to FIGS. 1, 2, 3, and 8, in block 802 of theflowchart 800 the electronic control unit 102 receives the gesturesignal generated by the driver detection system 140. The gesture signalindicates that the driver is raising his or her hand 110 away from thesteering wheel 144 of the vehicle 100 to point or otherwise drawattention to an object or a position located within the environmentsurrounding the vehicle 100. The method may then proceed to decisionblock 804.

In decision block 804, the electronic control unit 102 determines if thedriver's gaze is directed towards the final target position 112. Morespecifically, the electronic control unit 102 determines if the driver'sgaze direction D1 is directed towards the final target position 112based on the direction signal generated by the driver gaze monitoringsystem 170 and the first point 200 on the driver's hand 110. If thedriver's gaze direction D1 intersects the first point 200, then theelectronic control unit 102 determines that the driver's gaze directionD1 is directed towards the final target position 112. The method maythen terminate. However, if the electronic control unit 102 determinesthat the driver's gaze direction D1 does not intersection the firstpoint 200 on the driver's hand 110, then the method may proceed to block806.

In block 806, the electronic control unit 102 determines the position ofthe driver's eyes 116 (FIG. 2) based on the eye location signalgenerated by the driver gaze monitoring system 170. The method may thenproceed to block 808.

In block 808, the electronic control unit 102 determines the first point200 on the driver's hand 110 (FIG. 2) based on the gesture signalgenerated by the driver detection system 140. In the embodiment asillustrated, the first point 200 represents the tip 208 of the driver'sindex finger 114. However, as explained above, the disclosure is notlimited to the driver's index finger 114. In fact, the first point 200may be an object that the driver grasps in his or her hand such as apen, a pencil, a pair of sunglasses, and the like. The method may thenproceed to block 810.

In block 810, the electronic control unit 102 determines the position ofthe virtual eyes 120. Referring to FIG. 2, the virtual eyes 120 arecalculated by rotating the actual position of the driver's eyes 116about the vertical axis A-A of the driver's head 126 until the midpointM1 measured between the driver's eyes 116 is aligned with the firstpoint 200 of the driver's finger 114. The method may then proceed toblock 812.

In block 812, the electronic control unit 102 calculates the virtualgaze direction D2 by determining a vector that originates at themidpoint M2 and intersects the first point 200 of the driver's hand 110.The method may then proceed to block 814.

In block 814, the electronic control unit 102 determines the secondtarget position T2 based on the pointing direction P. In someembodiments, the electronic control unit 102 may also determine one ormore objects based on the object signal generated by the objectdetection system 130 and the vector representing the pointing directionP. More specifically, the object or objects indicated by the objectsignal that intersect with the vector as the second target position T2may represent the second target position T2. The method may then proceedto block 816.

In block 816, the electronic control unit 102 determines the secondtarget position T2 as seen in FIG. 5. The second target position T2 isdetermined based on the pointing direction P that indicates thedirection that the driver is gesturing towards. More specifically, asseen in FIG. 5 the pointing direction P is collinear with respect to thepointing axis of the driver's finger 114 (the pointing axis isillustrated in FIG. 5 as the line segment 204). The method may thenproceed to decision block 818.

In block 818, the electronic control unit 102 compares the firstaccuracy of the first target position T1 and the second accuracy of thesecond target position T2. In response to determining that the firstaccuracy is greater than the second accuracy, the method may proceed toblock 820. In block 820, the electronic control unit 102 selects thefirst target position T1 as the final target position 112. The methodmay then terminate.

In the event the electronic control unit 102 determines that the secondaccuracy is greater than the first accuracy, the method may proceed toblock 820. In block 820, the electronic control unit 102 selects thesecond target position T2 as the final target position 112. The methodmay then terminate.

It should now be understood that embodiments described herein aredirected to vehicle systems that determine a target position that adriver or passenger of the vehicle is attempting to point or otherwisegesture towards. More specifically, the disclosed system determines thefinal target position by selecting either the first target position orthe second target position, where the target associated with thegreatest accuracy is selected. The disclosed system takes into accountthe position of the target, the position of the driver's hand withrespect to the target, and the particular hand that the driver may useto point towards a target (i.e., the right hand or the left hand). Thus,the disclosed system accounts for limitations in a driver's ability tomove his or her body in order to point towards an object while seated inthe vehicle. For example, the skeleton of a human tends to be restrictedin movement when the arm moves backwards, which in turn may affect theaccuracy when the driver attempts to gesture towards a central location.The disclosed system takes advantage of the fluctuations in accuracy byselecting the target position having the greatest accuracy as the finaltarget position.

While particular embodiments have been illustrated and described herein,it should be understood that various other changes and modifications maybe made without departing from the spirit and scope of the claimedsubject matter. Moreover, although various aspects of the claimedsubject matter have been described herein, such aspects need not beutilized in combination. It is therefore intended that the appendedclaims cover all such changes and modifications that are within thescope of the claimed subject matter.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A vehicle, comprising: a user detectionsystem configured to output a gesture signal in response to a hand of auser performing at least one gesture to indicate a final targetposition; a user gaze monitoring system configured to output an eyelocation signal that indicates an actual eye position of the user; oneor more processors; and one or more non-transitory memory modulescommunicatively coupled to the one or more processors and storingmachine-readable instructions that, when executed, cause the one or moreprocessors to perform at least the following: determine a first pointand a second point located on the hand of the user based at least inpart on the gesture signal from the user detection system, wherein thefirst point and the second point define a pointing direction of the handof the user; calculate a virtual eye position based at least in part onthe first point located on the hand of the user and the actual eyeposition; calculate a first target position based on the virtual eyeposition, wherein the first target position includes a first accuracy;calculate a second target position based on the pointing direction ofthe hand of the user, wherein the second target position includes asecond accuracy; select either the first target position or the secondtarget position as the final target position based on the first accuracyand the second accuracy; and control at least one vehicle system basedat least in part on the final target position.
 2. The vehicle of claim1, wherein the machine-readable instructions further cause the one ormore processors to: determine a midpoint measured between a pair ofvirtual eyes; and determine a vector that originates at the midpoint andintersects the first point located on the hand of the user, wherein thevector represents a virtual gaze direction of the user.
 3. The vehicleof claim 2, wherein the machine-readable instructions further cause theone or more processors to: determine a presence of an object located inan environment surrounding the vehicle that intersects with the vectorrepresenting the virtual gaze direction; and identify the object thatintersects with the vector as the first target position.
 4. The vehicleof claim 1, wherein the machine-readable instructions further cause theone or more processors to: determine a vector by extending a linesegment representing a pointing axis beyond the hand of the user,wherein the pointing direction is determined based on the pointing axis;determine a presence of an object located in an environment surroundingthe vehicle that intersects with the vector representing the pointingdirection; and identify the object that intersects with the vector asthe second target position.
 5. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein themachine-readable instructions further cause the one or more processorsto: compare the first accuracy associated with the first target positionwith the second accuracy associated with the second target position; inresponse to determining the first accuracy is greater than the secondaccuracy, select the first target position to be the final targetposition; and in response to determining the second accuracy is greaterthan the first accuracy, select the second target position as the finaltarget position.
 6. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the machine-readableinstructions further cause the one or more processors to: determine alateral side of a body that is connected to the hand of the user basedon the gesture signal; and determine the second accuracy associated withthe second target position based on the lateral side of the body that isconnected to the hand of the user, the pointing direction of the hand,and the second target position.
 7. The vehicle of claim 6, wherein themachine-readable instructions further cause the one or more processorsto: determine a relative direction of the pointing direction withrespect to the body of the user; compare the relative direction of thepointing direction with the lateral side of the body that is connectedto the hand of the user; and in response to determining that therelative direction of the pointing direction is aimed opposite of thelateral side of the body that is connected to the hand of the user,select the second target position as the final target position.
 8. Thevehicle of claim 6, wherein the machine-readable instructions furthercause the one or more processors to: determine a relative direction ofthe pointing direction with respect to the body of the user; compare therelative direction of the pointing direction with the lateral side ofthe body that is connected to the hand of the user; and in response todetermining that the relative direction of the pointing direction isaimed towards the lateral side of the body that is connected to the handof the user, select the first target position as the final targetposition.
 9. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the machine-readableinstructions further cause the one or more processors to: determine thatthe user is pointing towards the second target position by the hand,wherein the hand includes a plurality of digits that each define arespective tip; and set the first point located on the hand of the userto the respective tip of a digit.
 10. The vehicle of claim 1, whereinthe machine-readable instructions further cause the one or moreprocessors to: determine that the user is pointing towards the secondtarget position by an article defining a proximate end and a distal end,wherein the user grasps the proximate end of the article with the handand the distal end of the article is directed towards the second targetposition; and set the first point located on the hand of the user as thedistal end of the article.
 11. A vehicle, comprising: a user detectionsystem configured to output a gesture signal in response to a hand of auser performing at least one gesture to indicate a final targetposition; a user gaze monitoring system configured to output an eyelocation signal that indicates an actual eye position of the user; oneor more processors; and one or more non-transitory memory modulescommunicatively coupled to the one or more processors and storingmachine-readable instructions that, when executed, cause the one or moreprocessors to perform at least the following: determine a first pointand a second point located on the hand of the user based at least inpart on the gesture signal from the user detection system, wherein thefirst point and the second point define a pointing direction of the handof the user; calculate a virtual eye position based at least in part onthe first point located on the hand of the user and the actual eyeposition; calculate a first target position based on the virtual eyeposition, wherein the first target position includes a first accuracy;calculate a second target position based on the pointing direction ofthe hand of the user, wherein the second target position includes asecond accuracy; compare the first accuracy associated with the firsttarget position with the second accuracy associated with the secondtarget position; in response to determining the first accuracy isgreater than the second accuracy, select the first target position to bethe final target position; in response to determining the secondaccuracy is greater than the first accuracy, select the second targetposition as the final target position; and control at least one vehiclesystem based at least in part on the final target position.
 12. Thevehicle of claim 11, wherein the machine-readable instructions furthercause the one or more processors to: determine a midpoint measuredbetween a pair of virtual eyes; and determine a vector that originatesat the midpoint and intersects the first point located on the hand ofthe user, wherein the vector represents a virtual gaze direction of theuser.
 13. The vehicle of claim 12, wherein the machine-readableinstructions further cause the one or more processors to: determine apresence of an object located in an environment surrounding the vehiclethat intersects with the vector representing the virtual gaze direction;and identify the object that intersects with the vector as the firsttarget position.
 14. The vehicle of claim 12, wherein themachine-readable instructions further cause the one or more processorsto: determine a vector by extending a line segment representing apointing axis beyond the hand of the user, wherein the pointingdirection is based on the pointing axis; determine a presence of anobject located in an environment surrounding the vehicle that intersectswith the vector representing the pointing direction; and identify theobject that intersects with the vector as the second target position.15. The vehicle of claim 12, wherein the machine-readable instructionsfurther cause the one or more processors to: determine a lateral side ofa body that is connected to the hand of the user based on the gesturesignal; and determine the second accuracy associated with the secondtarget position based on the lateral side of the body that is connectedto the hand, the pointing direction of the hand, and the second targetposition.
 16. The vehicle of claim 15, wherein the machine-readableinstructions further cause the one or more processors to: determine arelative direction of the pointing direction with respect to the body ofthe user; compare the relative direction of the pointing direction withthe lateral side of the body that is connected to the hand of the user;and in response to determining that the relative direction of thepointing direction is aimed opposite of the lateral side of the bodythat is connected to the hand of the user, select the second targetposition as the final target position.
 17. The vehicle of claim 11,wherein the machine-readable instructions further cause the one or moreprocessors to: determine a relative direction of the pointing directionwith respect to the body of the user; compare the relative direction ofthe pointing direction with the lateral side of the body that isconnected to the hand of the user; and in response to determining thatthe relative direction of the pointing direction is aimed towards thelateral side of the body that is connected to the hand of the user,select the first target position as the final target position.
 18. Amethod of determining a final target position that a user of a vehicleis gesturing towards, the method comprising: determining, by a computer,a first point and a second point located on a hand of the user based atleast in part on a gesture signal generated by a user detection system,wherein the first point and the second point define a pointing directionof the hand of the user; calculating a virtual eye position based atleast in part on the first point located on the hand of the user and anactual eye position of the user, wherein an eye location signalgenerated by a user gaze monitoring system generates the actual eyeposition; calculating, by the computer, a first target position based onthe virtual eye position, wherein the first target position includes afirst accuracy; calculating, by the computer, a second target positionbased on the pointing direction of the hand of the user, wherein thesecond target position includes a second accuracy; selecting either thefirst target position or the second target position as the final targetposition based on the first accuracy and the second accuracy; andcontrolling at least one vehicle system based at least in part on thefinal target position.
 19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:determining a lateral side of a body of the user that is connected tothe hand based on the gesture signal; determining a relative directionof the pointing direction with respect to the body of the user;comparing the relative direction of the pointing direction with thelateral side of the body that is connected to the hand of the user; andin response to determining that the relative direction of the pointingdirection is aimed opposite of the lateral side of the body that isconnected to the hand of the user, selecting the second target positionas the final target position.
 20. The method of claim 18, furthercomprising: determine a lateral side of a body of the user that isconnected to the hand based on the gesture signal; determining arelative direction of the pointing direction with respect to the body ofthe user; comparing the relative direction of the pointing directionwith the lateral side of the body that is connected to the hand of theuser; and in response to determining that the relative direction of thepointing direction is aimed towards the lateral side of the body of theuser that is connected to the hand, selecting the first target positionas the final target position.